By ikenna orioha
Growth Enhancement Support (GES) Scheme, a Federal Government Programme initiated by the Minister of Agriculture to encourage farmers to boost production in Nigeria, is thriving in Imo and Ebonyi States.
This is because the coordinators of the program are bent on harnessing the scheme. Through this program however the federal government is giving fertilizers to farmers at a subsidized rate of N3500 per kg bag- while other inputs such as seeds, cassava stems, etc, are given to farmers free of charge.
Thus, the objectives of GES scheme are that government will no longer procure and distribute fertilizers, shift the provision of subsidized fertilizers away from a general subsidy to genuine small holder farmers, the private sector will now commercialize agriculture input to farmers nationwide, government will also facilitate delivery of inputs and regulate their quality.
It’s strategies are: that the federal and state governments are to share the cost of GES on equal basis, that is, federal government 25% and state government 25% – making 50%. “seed and fertilizer companies are to build their supply chains through network of agro-dealers to reach the farmers in the villages and sell to them directly with GES at 50%.
Based on Trumpeta’s investigation the Imo State Government is not participating in the GES Scheme. And this has resulted in the farmers slightly paying above 50%, and the agro-dealers losing part of the subsidy they were suppose to receive.
The agro-dealers and the farmers now share 25% subsidy which was to come from the federal government. This caused the farmers paying N3500 per bag of 50kg fertilizer, instead of N5500 it should have paid if the state government had contributed its 25% equity.
Regrettably, Eze Ken Nnaji, one of the agro-dealers in Obowu and Ihite Uboma LGAs shortchanged over 100 farmers in these local government areas where they were told to pay additional N200 as against N7000 government price. Some of the farmers who spoke to Trumpeta on phone said the ago-dealers in these areas collected additional N200 from them for the products, and that they were not happy about the fraud.
Despite the fowl play by some agro-dealers, GES program still thrives in Imo because the farmers are happy about the program hence fertilizers and seeds have been made available for them to boost production. Indeed, the agro-dealers on their part are available to the farmers to redeem.
According to reports garnered from the farmers they were very happy and pleased with the program except in Ihite Uboma and Obowu LGAs where they are complaining bitterly of being shortchanged by some fraudulent agro-dealers whom they claimed collected additional N200 before they are allowed to redeem the products at the government reduced price.
Also, hearing from the supply manger covering Imo and Ebonyi States, the programme is thriving in both States.
